Visit the famed Sacre Coeur Basilica, with its dramatic perch on the top of the Montmartre hill.

Enjoy cruising on Seine River

Explore the sleepy village of Les Andelys

Enjoy views of Chateau Gaillard, an imposing fortress from the era of Richard the Lionhearted

Visit Rouen's wonderful Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral

Visit the Benedictine Order Castle at Fecamp and savor a taste of the famous Benedictine liqueur

Visit the Battery at Longues Sur Mer

Join us aboard this in-depth voyage from cosmopolitan Paris to the beaches of Normandy, and delve deeply into a region rich in history and culture. You’ll start by exploring Paris, the “City of Light,” witnessing monuments, cathedrals, and elegant avenues made famous in film and photographs. Next, you’ll embark on a Seine River Cruise through the heartland of France aboard our 120-passenger M/S Bizet, which was ranked #17 in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top 40 River Cruise Ships in the World” 2014 Readers’ Poll. With its Sun Deck and all outside cabins, you’ll enjoy uninterrupted views of orchards and fertile pastures lining the banks of the Seine. You’ll disembark to visit Conflans, or “Van Gogh Country,” meet with a local family in Vernon during a Home-Hosted Visit, take a walking tour of Rouen (made famous by Joan of Arc), and more. Then you’ll arrive in Honfleur, where moving remembrances await you as journey to the beaches of Normandy, visit the World War II Peace Memorial Museum, and pause at the somber field that is the American Military Cemetery.

The service and the food were excellent
May 2017

5.0

Value 5.0

Guide 5.0

Activities 5.0

Lodging 5.0

Transportation 5.0

Meals 5.0

I have done ten river/sea cruises with GCC, and the history was excellent that we learned from each city we visited. Our tour directors kept us informed as to what to expect about the region, city and weather. Aboard the ship, the service and the food were excellent. Along with these trips I have done ten land trips with GCT.

Operator Grand Circle Cruise Line

WH

Wayne H

Recommends

The most amazing river trip in Europe
January 2017

5.0

Value 5.0

Guide 5.0

Activities 5.0

Lodging 5.0

Transportation 5.0

Meals 5.0

Traveling from Belgium through 6 countries to Switzerland is one of the most amazing travel experiences in Europe, especially if traveling with Grand Circle Travel. The ship's crew and staff are the most professional and personable folks that I've ever had the fortune to travel with. Not only have I traveled European rivers with these folks once, but have done so several times. For a single traveler, traveling with Grand Circle is a great bargain, as there is very seldom an extra charge for traveling solo and if their is, the price is very modest. You can't go wrong with these folks.

Operator Grand Circle Cruise Line

T

Trudy

Does Not Recommend

Grand Circle had made a mistake in purchasing our Adria Airlines tickets
January 2017

2.0

Value 2.0

Guide 2.0

Activities 2.0

Lodging 2.0

Transportation 2.0

Meals 2.0

I just returned from a small ships cruise of Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina yesterday. We also took a post trip to Slovenia. My husband and I actually enjoyed the cruise and appreciated our program director Danijela. The post trip was a bit of a disappointment for several reasons although we discovered Slovenia is a beautiful country. Our greatest issue is with the air reservations which we purchased through Grand Circle. When we arrived at the Slovenian airport to begin our international flights to return home, we discovered Grand Circle had made a mistake in purchasing our Adria Airlines tickets connecting to Amsterdam and KLM to San Francisco.
They purchased Adria tickets which did not include the cost of baggage! Zero checked bags. Even though they tell you that one bag is included in the cost of the trip per person; even though the bags had been brought on the trip and included in the flights to Croatia; and even though all of the other 12 fellow travelers from the tour had their baggage included in the cost of the air tickets purchased through Grand Circle. We almost missed our flight dealing with the rude Adria Airlines personnel and had to pay for our bags before we were allowed to board the plane. This morning, Grand Circle said it isn't their problem that they purchased our tickets with zero checked baggage allowance and refused to refund the cost of the baggage fee. So, beware!! This could happen to you. Especially at a small airport with no Grand Circle representative present and Grand Circle transportation to the airport getting you there just one hour prior to departure. And, importantly, you may just suffer the same rude response I got when attempting to rectify the situation. Grand Circle customer service is a myth and not only do they not stand behind their performance, they are deceitful in their descriptions of what is included in their pricing. Imagine buying an air ticket with zero baggage included for participants in a cruise. Come on, Grand Circle. Admit your mistake and reimburse.

Operator Grand Circle Cruise Line

J

Jenna

Recommends

Amazing time!
January 2017

5.0

Value 5.0

Guide 5.0

Activities 5.0

Lodging 5.0

Transportation 5.0

Meals 5.0

My entire family just wrapped up a 12 day trip, "Christmas Markets on the Rhine", and we had an amazing time! My grandparents are Inner Circle members, but this was the first time for the other 7 of us. The ship - MS River Rhapsody - was clean and very comfortable to stay on, the crew was absolutely phenomenal, and the program directors were very friendly and knowledgeable about the places we were visiting. The morning walking tours were something I really enjoyed, since they gave us a personal introduction to each city. I have zero complaints and will look into taking another trip with Grand Circle in the future :)

Operator Grand Circle Cruise Line

J

Jenna

Recommends

We had an amazing time!
January 2017

5.0

Value 5.0

Guide 5.0

Activities 5.0

Lodging 5.0

Transportation 5.0

Meals 5.0

My entire family just wrapped up a 12 day trip, "Christmas Markets on the Rhine", and we had an amazing time! My grandparents are Inner Circle members, but this was the first time for the other 7 of us. The ship - MS River Rhapsody - was clean and very comfortable to stay on, the crew was absolutely phenomenal, and the program directors were very friendly and knowledgeable about the places we were visiting. The morning walking tours were something I really enjoyed, since they gave us a personal introduction to each city. I have zero complaints and will look into taking another trip with Grand Circle in the future

Operator Grand Circle Cruise Line

T

Thomas

Does Not Recommend

I may look Elsewhere going forward.
November 2016

1.0

Value 1.0

Guide 1.0

Activities 1.0

Lodging 1.0

Transportation 1.0

Meals 1.0

I get the brochures and e mail deals. Last two times I call immediately. The can't fine the deal. Thy send out the low price offers then Grand Circle deal arrived yesterday Thanksgiving to my e-mail. Called last night and today and throughout the day. Got an answer after 3 pm. Couldn't get the advertised rate to Paris /Normandy for 13 days. Second time now I tried. Last was English /Scotland and Ireland. We found a deal elsewhere . Anyone else feel they bait and switch at Garand Circle? It was $1000 more than the deal in the E mail and I had no date limitations . I may look Elsewhere going forward.

Arrive this morning or afternoon in Paris. You are met at the airport and transferred to your river ship. If you began your discoveries early with our optional pre-trip extension to Paris, France, or Loire Valley, France, you will join your main group today.

Unpack, settle in, and explore your ship, or just rest up in your cabin. A light lunch will be available for those who arrive early. You have the balance of the day to do as you wish after your overseas flight.

Celebrate the beginning of your Seine River Cruise with a Welcome Drink and a Welcome Briefing with your fellow travelers and Program Director. Then join your new companions for a Welcome Dinner tonight in the dining room.

Day 3: Captain's Welcome Dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, spend the morning exploring Paris, being introduced to both the city's classic highlights and more intimate neighborhoods. First, set off on a panoramic tour, witnessing the Eiffel Tower from different perspectives and the Notre Dame. Then, get a sense of daily life in Paris during a walking tour of one of the city’s residential neighborhoods. Finally, cap your tour with a drive along the famed Champs-Elysees, and witness the Arc de Triomphe (commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 and completed in 1836), which stands at the end of the Champs-Elysees at a large central roundabout where twelve elegant, tree-lined avenues converge.

Explore on your own this afternoon. After your Port Talk this evening, celebrate the beginning of your trip together with a Welcome Drink and Captain's Welcome Dinner in the dining room.

Day 4: Paris • Conflans

Meals: Breakfast Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: M/S Bizet

After breakfast, this morning, explore Montmartre, one of the most famous and lively of the city's 20 arrondissements (districts) on a walking tour. Spend some free time following your included walking tour strolling the charming streets of this romantic neighborhood, and witness the famed Sacre Coeur Basilica, with its dramatic perch on the top of the Montmartre hill. Delight in the views of Paris below, and watch the street artists at work or browse the local shops for a special keepsake to bring home.

Lunch is onboard with the remainder of the afternoon to make your own discoveries in Paris.

Early this evening, board your ship and begin your Seine River Cruise, which will carry you some 230 miles from Paris to Honfleur, on the Normandy coast.

After breakfast this morning, join your Program Director for a walking tour of Conflans. Then enjoy some free time for independent exploration, followed by an onboard lunch.

Or, join us on an optional Path of Van Gogh tour of Auvers-sur-Oise. You’ll see the final resting place of Vincent van Gogh in the simple and quaint town that inspired much of his work. Following lunch at a local restaurant, you'll begin your travels through the landscapes that inspired Impressionist painter Claude Monet on your way to Vernon. The Seine, the Epte, and the Oise—three French waterways referred to as the "Rivers of Light"—neighbor each other in this region, and it was here that the artist and other Impressionists gathered to paint natural scenes that have become recognizable worldwide.

Along the way, you may also choose to take part in a second Exclusive Discovery Series event, an onboard discussion about Monet, providing historical context for tomorrow's tour of Giverny. Shortly afterward, enjoy the opportunity for a third exclusive Discovery Series Event, where you may choose to join your Program Director for a French language lesson, and pick up a few key phrases to use throughout your trip.

Later, this afternoon take part in a Scavenger Hunt in Vernon—your Program Director will give you a list of three French items, a map of the city, and 15 Euros. This is a great opportunity to fully immerse yourself in French culture and have authentic local interactions.

Day 6: Vernon • Giverny • Les Andelys

Meals: Breakfast Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: M/S Bizet

After breakfast, disembark for an excursion into the countryside to see the lovely landscapes that inspired Claude Monet. He first witnessed the village of Giverny while looking out a train window in 1883, and the unique light of the Seine Valley kept him in residence for 43 years. He stayed here until his death in 1926, and you'll find his grave in the family vault at the town's Romanesque church.

Explore the artist's home and gardens, left by his son Michel to the Academie des Beaux-Arts in 1966 and now a museum dedicated to the great painter. The house is furnished as it was when the leader of the Impressionist School lived here, including his precious collection of Japanese engravings.

The gardens have been replanted, and as you stroll through them, you'll see with your own eyes the landscapes that have graced countless Monet paintings. You'll spot the familiar Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by weeping willows, its pond still full of the water lilies that so permeated his work. "I want to paint like the birds sing,” Monet said. Perhaps you'll agree that the idyllic setting in Giverny would lend itself to his dream.

Please note: This tour is available on April through October departures only. On March and November departures, we offer a walking tour of Vernon instead.

This afternoon, take part in a walking tour of the sleepy village of Les Andelys, where you can relish views of Chateau Gaillard, an imposing fortress from the era of Richard the Lionheart.

Later, put brush to canvas during an onboard exclusive Discovery Series watercolor painting lesson—perhaps channeling the scenery along the Seine as inspiration.

Dinner will be onboard tonight.

Day 7: Les Andelys • Rouen

Meals: Breakfast Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: M/S Bizet

Depart Les Andelys after breakfast this morning, enjoying lunch onboard as you sail.

This afternoon, disembark for a walking tour of Rouen, the capital of Normandy. This important French commercial center brimming with half-timbered houses has a distinguished history dating to pre-Roman times. But it is more infamously known as the city where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake in 1431. Here you'll see the 14th-century abbey where she was sentenced to death, and visit the Market Square where her execution took place. During your free time after your tour, you may want to delve deeper into the tragic life of France's sainted martyr and heroine of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) with a visit to the Joan of Arc Museum.

Stop to savor something sweet during a tasting in a chocolate shop. The balance of the afternoon is yours.

Dinner will be onboard this evening.

Day 8: Rouen • Home-Hosted Visit

Meals: Breakfast Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: M/S Bizet

This morning, join a local family for a sweet treat, as well as an opportunity to learn more about life in rural France, during an exclusive Discovery Series Home-Hosted Visit.

Afterward, the rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps you'll choose to visit Rouen's wonderful Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, whose facade has graced more than 30 Monet paintings. The renowned artist rented rooms across from the cathedral in 1892, where he painted several canvases simultaneously, capturing the nuances of light and weather that played across its intricately adorned exterior.

Lunch and dinner will be served onboard today. This evening, enjoy a night cap at a local guinguette, a traditional French bar and oftentimes dance hall.

Enjoy a relaxing morning of river cruising during which you can partake in two onboard exclusive Discovery Series events. First, learn how to prepare a few of France's culinary delights as your ship's chef demonstrates cooking techniques. Then partake in a French cheese tasting.

Following lunch onboard, you may choose to join a half-day optional excursion to the beautiful cliffs on the Normandy coast at Etretat. You'll discover the treasures of Etretat including the clifftop Chapel Notre Dame Garde.

The D-Day landings, code-named “Operation Overlord,” were the largest military campaigns in recorded history with the beaches of Normandy bearing the brunt of the invasion. Beginning at 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, nearly 7,000 landing craft hit the highly-fortified coastline. Those vessels carried tens of thousands of soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and many other Allied nations, all of whom arrived determined to carry out General Eisenhower's order, “Full victory—nothing else.”

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the American Military Cemetery. You'll see a monument honoring the fallen, and visit the cemetery of Colleville sur Mer, where 9,386 American soldiers were laid to rest.

Walk down to Omaha Beach for an up-close look at where the first Allied footing was achieved in German-occupied France. When they arrived on shore, the Allies were met with a deafening barrage of German gunfire. As Nazis soldiers shot from secure concrete pillboxes built high above the open sand, Allied fighters were mowed down while exiting the Higgins boats and wading to shore. In time, some doggedly made it to the ridge overlooking the beach, finding shelter from the hail of enemy bullets. More than a thousand Allied troops died on Omaha Beach alone.

Continue delving into D-Day's unprecedented history as you make your way to Pointe du Hoc—a site all Normandy veterans know well—where Allied forces scaled 328-foot cliffs as they sought to silence German artillery.

After returning to the ship, your evening is at leisure after dinner onboard.

Day 11: Honfleur • Optional Bayeux tour • Captain's Farewell Dinner

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodations: Novotel Convention & Wellness Roissy CDG or similar

After breakfast, set off on a walking tour of this well-preserved port town of Honfleur, founded in the eleventh century. Situated on a Seine estuary opposite Le Havre, the town was once one of the most important ports in France. It was from here that many voyages of discovery were launched, including the journey of native son Samuel de Champlain—who went on to found Port Royal in Nova Scotia and the settlement of Quebec in Canada.

The port changed hands frequently between France and England during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) and was finally won back by France in 1450. In the 1800s, Le Havre displaced Honfleur as a major port.

Following your included tour, you'll have time to continue exploring Honfleur on your own.

Or, join an optional visit to the Tapestry Museum of Bayeux, which showcases a remarkable piece of embroidered fabric—230 feet in length—depicting events of the 1066 Norman invasion of England. Study elaborate scenes created with wool yarn of russet and gold, and learn the history that inspired this fascinating work of art.

Gather with your new friends to share memories and toast to your enriching Seine River Cruise at the Captain's Farewell Dinner. The ship remains in port tonight.

This morning, disembark your ship and transfer to the Peace Memorial Museum in Caen, a state-of-the-art facility that does an outstanding job of presenting the events of World War II, including D-Day, very vividly. It's an excellent way to put into context what you saw at the Normandy beaches.

After time for lunch on your own here, transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport, located 18 miles from the Paris city center, for a final night in France before your return flight. Or, if you've chosen our post-trip extension to Brittany & St. Michel, France, transfer by motorcoach to St. Malo.

Our M/S Bizet ranked #17 in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top 40 River Cruise Ships in the World” 2014 Readers’ Poll. Custom-built with our travelers’ needs in mind, your private river ship has a passenger capacity of just 120 with all outside cabins and an English-speaking staff. You’ll savor freshly prepared meals from the upper-level dining room. Plus, enjoy leisure time in the bar and lounge, library, and Sun Deck. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in select common areas. Wireless Internet access is not available in cabins and connectivity is limited in certain locations on River Cruise itineraries. Your cabin features a flat-screen TV with CNN and movies, radio, direct-dial telephone, individual heating and air-conditioning controls, twin beds that convert to sofas, and private bath with shower and hair dryer.

The modern Novotel Convention & Wellness Roissy CDG is within close proximity to Charles de Gaulle Airport. Each of its 289 air-conditioned rooms features a satellite TV, Internet access, and a minibar. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s indoor heated pool, sauna, and fitness center.

Ship:M/S Bizet

Start City

Paris

End City

France

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation Charges for River Cruises and Small Ships:

Prior to departure and charge

121 days or more charges will be $300

120-90 days charges is 10% of selling price or $300—whichever is greater

89-60 days charges will be 40% of selling price

59-30 days charges will be 65% of selling price

29 days–departure is 100% of selling price

Cancellation Charges for Last Minute Bookings:

Last Minute Bookings are defined as any booking at or inside 45 days prior to departure. Space is limited and all arrangements—cabin selection, hotel rooms, air carriers and routing, etc.—are subject to availability. Flights are contingent on confirmation by the airline(s); additional fees from the airline(s) may apply. If flights can be confirmed without additional fees from the airline(s), you are subject to the standard cancellation charges for your trip. If flights incur additional fees from the airline(s), you will be offered the choice of either paying the additional fees or cancelling your reservation for a full refund of your Trip Price plus any cost you paid for the Travel Protection Plan. If flights cannot be confirmed, you will be offered an alternative departure date or trip. If we are not able to agree upon a suitable alternative, you will be entitled to cancel your reservation and receive a full refund of your Trip Price plus any cost you paid for the Travel Protection Plan.

If you are a no-show, if you cancel your trip after the departure date, or if you leave a trip already in progress, you will not receive any refund for any unused portion of your trip.

If you reserved a double room and are sharing with a friend or family member, and that person cancels prior to departure, you may be subject to additional single supplement and travel protection fees.

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